I was born in Brisbane but prior to touring have been living in Melbourne for the past three years.
While in grade one I was given a red single speed hand-me-down bike from a cousin. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up I said, as a joke, a ballerina. No one got it.
I was a cutie. Not sure what happened there.
In grade 5 I wrote a poem that appeared in the school's yearly magazine about how we are all destroying the environment. I will try to find this poem. It was a cracker. It rhymed and everything.
From early on it was clear to family that I was a 'tomboy' and there was nothing they could do about it.
During my teens I was in scouts where I realised a love of the outdoors, the bush and of camping. I also went on a couple of long bus trips to Kakadu National Park and Canarvon Gorge.
In grade 11, I wanted to be a park ranger. I did a weeks work experience with Parks & Wildlife and ended up working in an office in the city for two or three days of that week. I vowed to never wind up working in an office.
When I left school I did a Diploma in Horticulture where I learned a little about Australia's diverse flora. I also did a certificate in Permaculture design. Most of the plant names and knowledge from this I have long forgotten.
Since then, for the past seven years, I have studied IT and worked in offices writing software. For the last couple of years I have been studying part time a course in renewable energy (wind turbines, photovoltaics, solar hot water, biofuels) and energy efficiency (energy auditing and energy efficient building design) where I hope to find work in the future.
I do not want to get married, have children, drive a car, have a mortgage, or catch any other similar chronic diseases.
I have quit the fast-paced cutting-edge dazzling world of IT (joking) to ride a bike.
Along the way I hope to see some of the different environments that make up Australia, learn more about its flora and fauna, pick up knowledge about edible or otherwise useful 'weeds' and bushtucker / bush medicine and appreciate every day not being stuck in an office.
The thing most often said to me when I told people I was planning to ride around Australia is "You're doing what? But you're a girl". This I somehow manage to endure from people without too much stabbing and kicking.
You can contact me via the following means:
- Email: mareebiketouroz [at] gmail.com
- Twitter: @mareebiketouroz
